In the empty banquet hall, Thales and Zhan faced each other from a distance.

There were few people in the distance, and the guards and servants were still sending off the uneasy guests, looking cautiously but in awe from time to time.

"Now?"

Zhan En's surprised look only lasted for a second, and his good self-control made him stop his expression.

Duke Iris remained silent and ignored the nervous eyes of a few people in the distance. He just slowly moved across the messy ground and walked towards Thales.

Thales stared at the other party coldly.

Until Zhan En stopped and stood in front of the dagger.

"So you are just a blind cat who meets a dead mouse, trying your luck by cheating?"

The owner of Kevin Deere looked at the dagger on the ground, calmly, half-smiling.

He was leisurely and contented, without the slightest hint of gaffes or self-consciousness as if his conspiracy had been exposed and his plan exposed - just like when Thales exposed "New Star"'s plan at the state meeting six years ago.

This made Thales feel uneasy.

"I took it out of his mouth," Thales said without changing his expression.

"This sword was indeed given to him by a certain customer, not from some unknown source."

The prince glanced at several exits:

"Unfortunately, security at the banquet tonight is strict."

"There are not many customers who can enter without personal search."

Zhan took his time and spoke happily:

"Then why do you think it's me?"

He looked very interested. If you didn't know better, you might have thought that the two dukes were talking about something interesting after dinner.

Rather than a thrilling political conspiracy.

Thales frowned slightly.

The young man suddenly discovered that compared to the young and promising Duke of South Bank who had stayed in his mind six years ago and had not been in office for a long time, Zhan En was now much less imposing and much stronger.

The other person is different.

Thales told himself silently.

He is a little less lively and bright, and a little more melancholy and steady.

A thought flashed through Thales' mind: his experience in the North might have made him stronger, sharper, and more skillful.

Those six years in the stars.

What happened to Zhan again?

"We broke down."

Thales said lightly, maintaining the palace and dignity of Duke Xinghu:

"Before the party begins."

Zhan En's eyes moved.

"But in the middle of the banquet, you eagerly came up to chat and talked about political gains and losses."

Thales looked directly into the other person's eyes:

"Or be more straightforward..."

"Looking for something to say when I have nothing to say."

A brief silence.

Thales looked at the hall pillars in the distance, watching the shadowy servants cleaning up the mess of the banquet:

"I know you are well-behaved, Zhan, and I also know you are thick-skinned."

"But after all, it's not as good as this."

Zhan nodded slowly, with the corners of his mouth raised, as if he was tasting a glass of fine wine:

"It can't be that I really want to chat with you..."

Thales interrupted him coldly:

"You noticed."

Zhan En's eyes condensed.

"You noticed that the royal guards were frequently mobilized to strengthen protection: you realized that someone unexpectedly discovered Anke's existence in advance."

The young man looked at the dagger lying alone on the ground and stepped forward:

"You can't sit still."

"You need to hold me back to ensure that the plan goes smoothly and that Anke's goal is still there even after the king leaves."

"This is your biggest flaw."

Zhan said nothing.

"And based on my experience, every time you try to show your kindness out of nowhere, something bad will happen."

Thales stopped in front of the dagger, looked directly at the Duke of Iris opposite, and called his name:

"Jane Kevin Deere."

Old friend.

Thales said silently.

Zhan En smiled, looking unconcerned.

"You are very suspicious, Your Highness."

"Perhaps when you were still in the north, you were often plotted and harmed by various people?"

Calculate, inflict harm.

Thales wiped away the images of Nunn, Charmaine, and even the Black Prophet from his mind, and also chuckled:

"And maybe you didn't realize, Zhan, the topic you mentioned tonight when you had nothing to say..."

"King vs. vassals? Land vs. security? Dominance vs. rebellion?"

Thales language contains sarcasm:

“What you say reflects what you think.”

Zhan En's smile faded slightly.

"I think that before today, you have probably been worried and troubled for a long time by the matter between Crowcrow Town and Mirror River, the grudge between Bailar and Doyle, and how to take advantage of the opportunity."

Thales didn't look at Zhan's expression. He looked around and looked at the countless tables, chairs, cups and plates that were broken due to Anke's banquet, and sneered:

"And all of these endanger the prestige of the Fuxing Palace, alienate the Seven Shining Stars, provoke conflicts among the nobles, and expose conflicts in the ruling..."

"Just to cause trouble for me?"

In the distant hall, Glover and Piloga, who had seen off the last group of guests, were about to come in, but were stopped by Mallos with his hand.

The watchman looked at the two people confronting each other in the hall and shook his head.

The lights are still bright, and the Mindis Hall remains quaint. However, compared with the bustling bustle before, the banquet hall at this time is silent, cold and empty.

Only Thales and Zhan stood in the center of the hall, standing opposite each other and looking at each other quietly.

The only thing standing between them was the sharp-edged dagger on the ground.

After a long time, Zhan walked to the long table aside, picked up the wine glass left for him by the butler, and poured a glass of Sera Principality's famous wine:

"Like most people in the Western Wilderness, Anke Bailar is realistic and pragmatic, and is not a person who will be easily swayed by words."

Thales looked at his actions and frowned.

Zhan raised his wine glass and turned around while leaning on the long table.

"How can you be so sure that he will give up and give in?"

He looked at Thales carefully, as if he wanted to put the boy in front of him together with the boy from six years ago:

"Wouldn't you risk everything in a fit of rage and burn everything on the spot?"

Anke Bailar.

Thales tilted his head, and a shadow flashed across his face.

"Same as you." He said in a low voice.

Zhan En shook the wine glass in his hand and smelled the aroma:

"Oh? What?"

Thales looked at the wine glass in the other person's hand and felt that he was also thirsty.
To be continued...